


500 Words: 102. Decrepit

by Sarahtoo



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-24
Updated: 2015-11-24
Packaged: 2018-05-03 03:09:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5274314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarahtoo/pseuds/Sarahtoo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aunt Prudence muses on her age.</p>
            </blockquote>





	500 Words: 102. Decrepit

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Fire_Sign](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fire_Sign/gifts).



> decrepit  
>  _dih-krep-it_
> 
> **adjective**
> 
>   1. weakened by old age; feeble; infirm.
>   2. worn out by long use; dilapidated.
> 


“Come on, Aunt P!” Jane’s call was exuberant as she pelted down the lawn at Prudence Stanley’s house. Prudence watched her consideringly. Phryne had had her two cabbies set out the wickets for a game of croquet, and Jane was thrilled. Prudence started across the lawn in Jane’s wake, watching her adopted niece race with Misters Johnson and Yates to be the first to select a colorful ball and mallet. She could not keep up with the girl! Those two red-raggers could, both of them running circles around Jane and all three laughing like loons. Prudence clicked her tongue and narrowed her eyes. She supposed those men were kind enough, though she did not approve of their politics. Still.

“Jane!” She called across the lawn, “It is unladylike to cavort so! Please behave yourself!”

But she smiled a little at Jane’s happiness. Phryne seemed to be doing well by the girl. Jane had had a difficult life, and she probably had not had access to a lawn like this at any point.

“Oh really, Aunt P!” Phryne cried from where she stood on the porch watching Jane, Bert, and Cec dart around the lawn. “It’s a beautiful day, and she’s having fun! And anyway, who’s to see her acting this way?” She grinned, and Jack Robinson, standing beside her, looked down at her, his normally sober face creasing in a surprisingly wide smile. Prudence narrowed her eyes at the two of them. Did the inspector have his arm around her niece? Prudence harrumphed.

The way the two of them carried on was scandalous, really. The inspector practically lived at her niece’s house these days, and neither of them seemed at all inclined to marry. It was unfortunate, perhaps, that Prudence liked Jack so well—if she liked him less, she would feel obligated to do her best to put an end to their liaison. But Jack had wrought changes in her darling Phryne that were lovely to see. Phryne was softer these days, less reckless, and Prudence knew that she had Inspector Robinson to thank for that. And if her niece’s reputation suffered, it was no worse than it had before she’d settled down somewhat with her policeman.

Prudence sighed and made her way back up to the porch to watch Jane’s goings-on from a respectable (and comfortable) perch. She often felt her age; it was hard not to feel decrepit when the times changed so quickly around her. But looking around her at the smiles on the faces of the people she loved, it didn’t seem to matter as much as she thought it probably should.


End file.
